Steering assembly for outboard motorboats



Jan. 25, 1955 G. D. JOHNSON STEERING ASSEMBLY FOR OUTBOARD MOTORBOATS Filed Sept. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l ijgm INVENTOR. Gro 1/6 20. 122211125012 ATTD RN EYS Jan. 25, 1955 s. D. JOHNSON STEERING ASSEMBLY FOR OUTBOARD MOTOREOATS Filed Sept. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOIE. I tiroz/er 031 225012 ATTD RN EYS 2,700,358 Piehted llahe 25,1?1955 STEERING xASSEMBLY. IFORA OUTBOARD: MOTORBOATS.

Grover D. Johnson, Baldwinsville, N. Y.

Application sep'tember '7, 1954, Serial No'."454,473

2 claims. (Cl. 115---18) 'Iliis' inventionrelatesto .anoutboardmotor boat, and more particularly to a remote control steering-assembly for tan, ,outboard motor..

The: .object of .theqinventionvis .to provide. a remote control steering :assembly. which .will permit. a conven-. tional. outboard motor to .be tilted and steeredwhile :the boat .is moving.

Anotheriobject of the invention is to provide a.re-v mote...-cont-rol steering. assembly. forxoutboard motors whiclildoes not utilize. drums, fcablesw and-.pulleysand whereinztheuoutb'oard motor being...controlledcan be tilted and. steered 'while the boatis moving 'and ,wherein thelmotor .will not accidentally movefrom its. adjusted positionnor'will,weedsJor other obstaclesichange .the course .of the...boat.-

Afurtherv object of theflinvention'is .to provideza steer? ing assembly for. anoutboardmotorrwhich,is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other. objects and advantages will be apparentlduring the ,course -of .the following description.

Inthe' accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and .in which. like. numerals are .usedto desk ignate like parts-throughout the same:

Figurel is a top. plan view, showing a portion, of. the steering assembly ofthe present invention.

Figure 2' is a top. planview showing one..ofthe-.cylinders, and. the motor.

Figure 3 is asectionalview taken. on.the.line.3--.-3;of Figure 1.

Fig'ure'4is' a sectional view taken.on.thejlinet4-.T4 of Figure 1.

Figurej. is a-sectional Viewtaken-n.the..line- -55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is :an:.elevational--view;-.-with .parts broken away and in section, showing the steering wheel. and another cylinder which are arranged adjacent the front of the boat.

Figure 7 isa fragmentary view showing a strengthening, bar .-mounted as when dual motors-are beingrpsed.

Referring in'detail' to'the' drawings, the numeral 10 designates a portion of a conventional boat which can be made of any suitable material, and the boat 10 may have a conventional outboard motor 11 mounted thereon. The motor 11 includes the usual support portion 12 and a pivotally mounted body member 14. The motor 11 is mounted on the rear 15 of the boat 11, and the present invention is directed to a remote control mechanism for steering the boat.

The remote control mechanism includes a plate 16 which can be made of any suitable material such as metal, and the plate 16 is arranged adjacent the back 15 of the boat, Figure 3. The plate 16 can be secured in place by suitable securing elements 17. The usual clamping elements 18 project through the support portion 12 and engage the plate 16.

Projecting forwardly from the plate 16 and secured thereto is a pair of spaced parallel ears 19. Each of the ears 19 is provided with a plurality of apertures or openings 20, and detachably connected to the ears 19 is a guide bar 21. The guide bar 21 includes a pair of straight end portions 22 and an intermediate curved section or portion 23. A suitable securing element such as a bolt or screw 24 extends through each of the end portions 22 and through one of the openings for detachably connecting the bar 21 to the ears 19. Thus, by means of the plurality of openings 20, the guide bar 21 scan-be movedesorasv towaccommodatenmotorsvsllliof different a sizesaor shapes:-

Movablwmountedton.the barv21 is a thousing:25 which includes a painoftspaced parallel plates 26uand 27'. Suit.- able-securing elements 28 serve to connect :theiplates :26 and 27 together, :1 and" journaled between the -.upper and lower platesis-wpluralitymf rollers A .pairrofarolleits 30 are-mounted ton .eachofyithe-pinm 29;;and aspacersfil separatesr-eacht. of:.thenrollers-mfteach pair: Thevrolleifs ensure tnat-thef housing -zstwill ttravel :smoothlyualong the barFZL't The :rollers: :30 l are -.spaced:sot that .-the housing will, followfithexcontour fOft'llhe curvature of; thehbanz-Zl as sthe housing;movesialongrthe-fbarn '1 A, suitable-:lnbricas tion fitting. 31-. projects; upwardlyl fIOmnthQJILOPF plate; :26 whereby=- oil, or thetlikeveanwbe'inserted:towthe interiormf therhousing -25.

Secured-to the bottom; plate 27' r in; any; suitable: roan:- ner, as for example-by welding, isa lug 33,:Figure'4, and the --lug 33 'is' .provided with an" opening '34; A- securing element T01" bolt 35: extends through the-opening 3.4,v and a=p;iston rod 36 has a bifurcatedend 37 straddling-.thexend ofithevbolt 35.. Asuitable:-clevis pin-'38: servessto-apivotally connectithe-bifurcated end-:37 of the rod 36.tolthe bolt 35aas shown in FigurerS. 1 Theother-end ofa-the piston. rod, 36-projects into acylinder' 39*which iszpiva otally; connected to the rear of the-boat 'by means-pfta pivottmeans .,-40.'- Suitable: conduits 41-- and-.42 extend from :the; .ends ofthe cylinder -39nfor conveyingvhydraulic fluid torand from the cylinder.-

When. more? than one I'IIlOlOI" is mounted 3 on thevboatg' a means is provided for steering. all of the motors. Thus; there -is;-providedan arm-.43 which-isconnected to -the bolt 35, FigureS, and-a clevis pin 44 projects through the..-arm43. The :clevis :pin. 44 -canvbe usedifor:attache ing-aportionof a second motorstoithearm.43-sotthat both motors vcan: beturned .in .unison..

Referring to vFigure 6 of the-. drawings, ,the :numera-l 45 designates-a portion ofthe front 'ofthe boat, andlthernua meral .46-.designatesa I manually.- operable .steering wheeli Carried. by, the :steeringwheel --46.--or actuated; therebyr is a .geanmember 47- which: has its teeth .meshing:with. .the teeth 48 on a piston rod 49. The rod.-49-.projects. into,-a second cylinder 50 which is pivotally connectedrto the front..of.the..boa-t-.by.means of-a pivotxass'embly; 51', and again. lthe ..conduits; 41'- and. .42: are provided"; for. :therpas sagentherethrough. of hydraulic fiuid..-. These-conduits. cannlead.- to tthe other; cylinden 39.

The. motor .11 further. includes; a substantially-RU.- s'hapedbracket. 52!which ,.includes:side. 'membiers r53 and a connecting member54, Figure 1, andt-connectedstoithe. bracket'52iisa clamp; 551 The.clamp 55zisprovidedtwith a .cut-outior. socket 56-.Bwhich receives'itheuportion.5410f the bracket 52; and a suitable securing element such as a bolt or screw 57 serves to connect the bracket 52 to the clamp 55. Depending from the clamp 55 and formed integral therewith or secured thereto is a curved stem 63 which is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 58. A suitable securing element such as a pin or bolt 59 extends through one of the openings 58, and a spacer sleeve 60 is circumposed on the pin 59. A roller 61 is mounted on an end of the pin 59, and the roller 61 is adapted to travel in a curved channel member 62 which is secured to the housing 25. Due to the provision of the roller 61 in the curved channel 62, the motor 11 can tilt about a horizontal axis since the roller 61 is free to travel up and down in the channel member 62. When the cylinders are actuated by turning movement of the steering wheel 46, the rod 36 will be extended or retracted in its piston 39 so that the housing 25 will be moved along the curved section 23 of the bar 21 and this in turn will cause sideway shifting of the bracket 52 and motor 11 so that the entire boat can be steered by simply turning the wheel 46.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided a remote control steering assembly for use with outboard motors such as the motor 11. In use, the plate 16 can be secured to the back 15 of the boat and then the motor 11 can be mounted on the boat. Then, with the parts assembled as shown in the drawings upon manual rotation of the wheel 46, the gear member 47 ment of the housing 25 will cause similar swinging movement of the bracket 52 since the roller 61 is received in the channel member 62. Thus, the roller 61 will move with the housing 25 and so will the clamp 55 and bracket 52. The bracket 52 is connected to the movable portion of the motor 11 so that the motor will be swung whereby the propeller and rudder of the motor will move to guide or steer the boat in the desired direction. It is to be noted that the roller 61 is freely mounted in the channel member 62 so that the roller 61 can move from the solid line position of Figure 4 to the broken line position of Figure 4 whereby pivotal or tilting movement of the motor 11 can be eifected as when the motor is to be raised up out of the water. Thus, the boat can be steered by a person sitting in the front of the boat.

The remote control steering assembly of the present invention can be used for outboard motors from 10 horsepower up, and does not use any drums, cables and. pulleys. Suitable pads may be provided on the plate 16 to serve as guides for the members 18. Outboard motors being controlled with the present invention can be tilted and steered while driving and the motor will remain immobile in its adjusted position and will not have its course changed by weeds or other obstacles. If the motor is to be operated manually, then the clevis pin 38 can be removed and then the motor can be operated with a conventional motor steering arm. The assembly can be used with a dual motor by connecting the arm 43 with the second motor through the medium of a pin such as the pin 44. The motor can be removed from the boat by loosening the clamp screws 18. The motor is free to tilt at any time while in operation. In Figure 7 there is shown a modification wherein a bar 64 is secured to the stem 63 in any suitable manner, as for example by means of bolt and nut assemblies 65 which may extend through the openings 58. The bar 64 can be made of any suitable material such as fiber or nylon, and this bar provides increased strength as for example when dual motors are being mounted or used.

I claim:

1. In combination, a boat, an outboard motor mounted on the rear end of said boat and including a base mounted on the rear of the boat, a body member arranged above said base and pivotally connected thereto, a plate secured to the rear of the boat, a pair of spaced parallel apertured ears extended forwardly from said base, a guide bar including an intermediate curved portion and straight end portions detachably connected to said cars, a housing including a pair of spaced parallel plates arranged on opposite sides of said bar, securing elements interconnecting said plates together, a plurality of rollers journaled between said plates and engaging said bar, a curved chan nel member depending from said housing and secured thereto, a lug secured to the lowermost plate and provided with an opening therein, a first cylinder having one end pivotaily connected to the rear of the boat, a rod extending from said cylinder, a securing element extending through the opening in said lug and pivotally connected to said rod, a second cylinder pivotally connected to the front of the boat, a rod extending from said second cylinder and provided with a plurality of gear teeth thereon, a steering Wheel arranged in the front of the boat, a gear member operated by said steering wheel and meshing with the gear teeth on said last named rod, conduits connecting said first and second cylinders together, a bracket extending forwardly from said motor, a clamp secured to said bracket and including a lower curved stem provided with a plurality of apertures, a pin extending through one of said apertures, and a roller carried by said pin and slidably mounted in said channel member.

2. In combination, a boat, an outboard motor mounted on the rear end of said boat and including a base mounted on the rear of the boat, a body member arranged above said base and pivotally connected thereto, a plate secured to the boat, a pair of ears extending upwardly from said base, a guide bar including a curved portion and end portions detachably connected to said ears, a housing including a pair of plates arranged on opposite sides of said bar, securing elements interconnecting said plates together, a plurality of rollers journaled between said plates and engaging said bar, a channel member depending from said housing and secured thereto, a lug secured to the lowermost plate and provided with an opening therein, a first cylinder having one end pivotally connected to the boat, a rod extending from said cylinder, a securing element extending through the opening in said lug and pivotally connected to said rod, a second cylinder pivotally connected to the front of the boat, a rod extending from said second cylinder and provided with gear teeth thereon, a steering wheel arranged in the boat, a gear member operated by said steering wheel and meshing with the gear teeth on said last named rod, conduit means connecting said first and second cylinders together, a bracket extending from said motor, a clamp secured to said bracket and including a lower stern provided with a plurality of apertures, a pin extending through one of said apertures, and a roller carried by said pin and slidably mounted in said channel member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,150 Stover Feb. 21, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 420,059 Germany Oct. 15, 1925 863,173 France Dec. 23, 1940 

